17 in Quarantine: Finding New Ways to Celebrate

As we all know, this past year has been full of change, anxiety, and new things. Just last year I turned 16 and I was looking forward to the rest of the year. Then, the pandemic happened and everything changed rapidly. Now, one year later, my 17th birthday arrived on January 31st. But, there was a bit of a twist this time around. I had to quarantine for the week of my birthday because I was exposed to Covid-19. To make matters worse, I got tested on the day after my birthday, which is something that causes me a lot of anxiety. But, the test came back negative and I am grateful to be healthy, and staying home wasn’t nearly as bad as it originally seemed. Instead of going out to eat and hanging out with friends, I stayed home and spent time with my parents. My mother and I made chocolate covered strawberries and brownies, and then we had a delicious dinner that night. Luckily, January 31st is just one day of being 17 for me and there is still an entire year left to enjoy it. I know I am not the only person who had to sacrifice something fun and meaningful because of this pandemic, but I urge everyone to try to enjoy the smaller things in life and keep hope that life will return to normal in the near future.